This time I am speaking as a customer and am talking about all the product options lying before me. I still remember my second day in the United States and my first visit to Walmart! I can almost affirmatively say that I was lost. There were atleast 10 and at the max I guess 30 options per product type - and this could range from basic ingredients like Sugar, Salt and even Milk! It was almost a rush, when my friend who had been kind enough to take me shopping wanted me to grab all that I wanted to and belive me or not, at the end of almost an hour, I was confused, dazed, wondering how I should wade through this without reading the specs on every product!
Having lived in India, where the largest departmental store will have not more than an average of 2 options per product, I had no clue how I would walk the maze! Shampoo, moisturizer, shoes, dresses, swimsuit, ...name just about the next plan on your agenda and you have to research through website and figure out what fits you right! Coming to think of it, I wonder why? Is there a reason why we need so many options?
Putting on my thinking hats I was wondering why. Most obvious reason seemed to be the diversity associated with the place. But then I wonder if United States is more diverse than India ? Every Indian metro should have a fair representation from about 20 different cultures to say the least, and this does not include the diversity brought in during immigration. Why is it that we do not have so much choice ? Is it that our consumers are not demanding, or is it that we have got conditioned to live on the usuals ? I cannot somhow accept that the Indian consumer is mundane and ease to tame! No way!
Is it that the consumer is more aware of the product here ? The constituents and what they want in it ? Or are there so many entrepreneurs here, that results in so many product options and each one almost "creates" a reason why his product is different from the rest ? I really wonder why ?
The irony lies in the fact, that despite so many options, I have not been successful in locating that one product that exactly mathes the one and only option that was available back home. May be I am a lazy shopper, or may be, the right stuff is always way too expensive! But, coming to think of it, I prefer buying a single packet of Aavin milk that serves as a source of all vitamins and minerals and works as a wholesome food to a vegetarian, as opposed to being deficient in Vitamin B12 just coz' I chose to buy '2% low-fat milk' as opposed to "whole milk"! May be I did not read the product description, or may be, there is indeed an alternative. Whatever, I know it for a fact, that end of the day, I miss India and the easy shopping that happenend there!
4 comments:
1. Now India too has taken the same path, with overflowing supermarket shelves. The poor in the platforms remain such, ofcourse.
2. U.S as a populace might be diverse. But not the cities. They all look the same, but for a building or two (like Sears Tower, Chrysler building etc).
ab amanager ho gaye to ab aise post likhoge
I think US cities are much more cosmopolitan and diverse than any Indian city in particular and thus u see such options !
Good one...it made me think for 5 mins as why i never realized this before and another 10 mins as what according to me, could be the reason behind this?
I would not be agreeing too much with the thought that it has anything to do with whether Indian cities are more diverse than the US cities or not.In India, except those born with a silver spoon, everyone learns to live with constraint and they are taught this since their childhood.We are pretty happy if a product, we are buying serve the basic purpose. We never were too particular about how much % fat is present in the milk, we were only bothered about whether the milk density were sufficient enough or not and whether we can make good Indian sweets from the milk at home :-)
But things are changing, specially with the supermarket culture growing.And with the influence of US culture, today we are also learning to read the detailed description of the product before buying. But i would like to ask that does it make a better living just because you have more options. I still don't understand people ordering sandwich full of "cheese" with diet coke and it is beyond my knowledge, despite all this why obesity is a household name in US and India is far behind then them.
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